


Mother's Day

by LeftyVoyager



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 07:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6845494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeftyVoyager/pseuds/LeftyVoyager
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a short Mother's Day story touching on some themes of being away from home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mother's Day

Prologue

"Katie, why are you out here sulking?" asked Gretchen as she found her daughter, captain of the famous starship Voyager, sitting on the front porch alone.

Kathryn didn't answer right away. She studied every detail of her mother's face, then looked away as she replied, "I've missed you more than you can imagine."

"You're home now. I'm right here," said Gretchen.

"Computer - end program," ordered the captain. The room instantly transformed into the grid of the holodeck. She leaned against the wall, composing herself before exiting.

***

"But why now?" asked Chakotay. The Doctor sat across his desk from him in his office. "We've already been out here for 5 years. Why is this Mother's Day any different than last year's?"

"Call it a hunch, but I think this is going to cause a far worse dip in crew morale this year than previously. Between the cumulative effect of being away for so long, the fact that Naomi and Samantha will probably be celebrating publicly, and the fact that we've been in quiet space for the past few weeks, I am very concerned."

Chakotay pondered the Doctor's statement. "What can we do?"

"I'm not sure. I think we should just be extra vigilant, especially with the women in the crew," said the Doctor. "We're fortunate it's a young crew. None of the women have left children at home, and very few of the men have. But some crew members may have put family plans on hold while we're in the Delta Quadrant. This holiday could be a reminder," advised the Doctor.

Chakotay was thoughtful for a minute. There was one person in particular on his mind. One who had been particularly aloof lately, spending time alone on the holodeck and cancelling their dinners. "Doctor, what about the captain?" he asked.

"Hmm.. She just came in for her physical yesterday. She seemed all right. Maybe a little subdued, but she's been following her usual pattern of too little sleep and too much coffee," scoffed the Doctor.

Chakotay grinned, then said, "Seriously though, she'd be an expert at hiding it. I should go talk to her."

The Doctor nodded. She was not on his list of people to watch for, but she does have a mother she left behind and a self imposed restriction on fraternizing with her crew, thus preventing her from entering into motherhood. "A wise precaution, Commander."

***

"Everything's fine, Chakotay. Why the sudden concern?" asked B'Elanna. They had just finished a series of hoverball games and we're heading out of the holodeck.

"Just checking up on the crew, B'Elanna. It is part of my job, you know," said Chakotay. "Remember that you can always come to me if you need anything."

"Sure, old man," laughed the lieutenant. They parted ways in the corridor, and Chakotay caught Seven of Nine walking ahead of him.

"Seven," called out the commander, picking up his pace to catch up with her.

She paused to allow him to catch up. "Yes, Commander? How may I assist you?"

"I want to see how you're doing. We haven't talked in a while," he said.

"I see. The ancient Terran holiday called Mother's Day is approaching, and you are attempting to ascertain emotional response to ensure efficient operation of the ship. A reasonable precaution. I do not have children, and I hardly remember my mother. You do not need to be concerned with me," announced the former drone.

Caught off guard, he stammered, "All right, thanks, Seven. I appreciate your directness. But if you do experience any uncomfortable emotional responses, you know you can always talk to myself or the captain."

"Of course," said Seven.

***

"Captain, guess what!" exclaimed Naomi excitedly over her pancakes. The captain had made it a point to schedule regular breakfasts with her youngest passenger.

"What, Naomi?" asked Janeway, smiling.

"This Sunday is Mother's Day! Mommy is not on duty, and we're going to spend the whole day together!" Naomi announced.

"That's wonderful! What do you have planned?" asked the captain.

"First, Neelix is going to help me make Mommy breakfast in bed! And I'm going to give her a card that I made myself on real paper. Then we're going to the beach on the holodeck, and Tom programmed her favorite restaurant into the holodeck - it's Italian, so I'm going to have spaghetti and meatballs!" she chattered.

"Sounds perfect. Have a good time," said Janeway, dabbing at her eyes with her napkin.

Naomi looked at her quizzically. "Are you crying, Captain?"

"Don't worry, Naomi - I'm fine. I was just remembering when I was your age. My sister and I used to plan Mother's Day with our mom."

"You can come with us, Captain. I'm sure Mommy won't mind. It will be so much fun!" said Naomi.

Janeway composed herself and smiled. "No - this is a special day for you and your mother. I am very happy for both of you."

***

"Great work, Commander. Dismissed," Janeway ordered. Chakotay had just given her the morning report in her ready room. He was standing just inside the door, and she was facing the stars streaming past the window.

"Can I interest you in dinner tonight? It's been a few weeks since we last got together," he mentioned casually.

She sighed, "No, not tonight, Chakotay. I have a lot to do."

He tentatively took a few steps forward. "Was my report incomplete? Everything is accounted for. There shouldn't be much for you to do."

"Chakotay." It was a warning that halted his forward progress. But after a short moment, her frigid stance shattered, and her shoulders slumped. "I can't hide from you, Chakotay. I never could."

"What's wrong, Kathryn?" he asked. She turned and allowed him to see the tears streaking down her face.

"I don't think it's very captain-like for a captain to say she wants her mother," she admitted.

"No, but it's very human and very normal. Tell me about her," said Chakotay. He crossed over to her and put his arm around her.

"My mother. Where to even begin... When my father died, I was devastated. She was, too, but she didn't have a chance to grieve for herself - she was too worried about me. If it wasn't for Phoebe..." She allowed him to lead her to sit on the sofa with him.

"Tell me, Kathryn. You need to talk about it," said Chakotay, gently.

"Mom makes the most amazing caramel brownies I've ever tasted. God knows, I tried to replicate them - I just can't. One day, I was so frustrated that I rebuilt the replicator. It was my first day off in months, and I had spent it rebuilding the replicator because I needed that brownie. And I couldn't do it," she sobbed.

"It wasn't about the replicator or the brownies, Kathryn. It's okay to miss her," said Chakotay.

"It's about failure, Chakotay. Yes, I miss her, but I failed her. I failed her when I couldn't save Daddy. I failed her when I stranded us in the Delta Quadrant. And I failed to replicate a simple dessert." She wiped angrily at the tears falling down her face.

"No - it's about love. Your mother loves you unconditionally. You don't need to perform heroic acts or bake brownies to win her love. She loves you, and she's waiting for you at home."

"What if she's not, Chakotay? She's not a young woman. What if I'm too late?" Kathryn attempted to slow her breathing and calm down. "What if this is it - my huge mental breakdown - that prevents me from being any help at all to you. I'll fail you, too."

"Kathryn, relax. You are fine - in fact, more than fine. I've had a variation of this conversation with the head of just about every department on this ship. I've had nights with Ayala in the holodeck where I did nothing but beat on a punching bag worried about failing. Worried that I can't live up to your expectations. You're experiencing very normal amounts of fear. But you will overcome it like you always do. You just need to take better care of yourself so you can handle it better."

"I'm tired, Chakotay."

"Take the day off. Then have dinner with me. You'll feel better, I promise," said the commander.

"Okay," said the captain.

***

"Feeling better?" asked Chakotay.

Kathryn smiled sheepishly. "Yes - okay - you were right. It's amazing what a nap, a long bath and a good book can do." She looked at Chakotay almost shyly, suddenly remembering how handsome her first officer is. "Thank you - I was really starting to fall into a rut. I'm fairly prepared for birthdays and anniversaries. Mother's Day caught me by surprise. How did you know?"

"The Doctor thought it was a potential issue for any of the female crew. I noticed you were withdrawing a bit - other than that, I had no idea," answered Chakotay.

"Anyone else?" asked the captain, suddenly concerned for the welfare of the crew.

"I found Harry in tears in Sandrine's one day last week. Mother's Day was a big event in his family.

Janeway sighed. "I was completely distracted by my own feelings. I'd never have known."

Chakotay smiled. "It's all right. We had it covered."

"What would I do without you?" asked Kathryn. "I still can't imagine a day without you."

"You don't have to. I won't let you be alone," said Chakotay.

The end.


End file.
